Are Avon, Mary Kay and Estee Lauder Back Animal Testing?

When I first read a headline regarding companies going back to testing makeup on animals, my first thought was that this is silly, animals look fine without makeup.

My second thought was that the animal advocacy groups like PETA will soon be all over the place once again preaching their disapproval for such actions (to put it mildly).

A blogger from the Mother Nature Network recently wrote that, “The Chinese government requires animal testing for beauty products sold in China, and PETA reports that while Mary Kay has been trying to work with the government to come up with new testing solutions for cosmetics that don’t involve animals, Estee Lauder and Avon have gone along with the government requirements without complaint.”

If you are a lover of animals and currently use one of the companies you might want to think twice.

What might be even more disturbing is the sketchiness of the accuracy of the labels telling us if the products are “cruelty free.”

Baltimore’s ABC affiliate reported that the labeling that indicates whether products are testing on animals may be misleading.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says there is no specific definition for what these labels really mean. Even their website states there is “no legal definition for these terms.”

Vicki Katrinak from the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics says “it could still be tested on animals, the component ingredients could definitely be tested on animals.”

What?

Using animal testing for makeup?

Apparently there is a loophole here because while the companies may not test on the animals, a third party company or outside lab they contract with might do so. No cosmetic company trade group would agree to an interview about animal testing.

That story goes on to say that it is likely that most companies don’t test anymore partly because many common cosmetic ingredients, tested years ago, are known to be safe, and don’t have to be re-tested.

Probably the best way to find animal-free cosmetics products, other than going to the website of an organization like PETA, is to look for all-natural products or a brand that makes an effort to go the extra mile for environmental and/or animal enthusiasts. I’ve even seen makeup labeled “organic” which might be a good place to start.

This all comes down to doing your research if these matters mean something to you. I hope companies find other ways to test their products in the future. When Bugs Bunny put lipstick on to make himself look like a girl bunny, honestly the makeup didn’t do a thing for him.